A viral video circulating on social media shows a senior army officer and two soldiers brutally assaulting a man in the Abuja metropolis.
The army personnel, identified as a Major General and his escorts, were seen attacking the man for allegedly “overtaking” their vehicle.
According to the 1: 57 minutes video seen by Channels Television, the man was seen groaning in pain and saying “How did I pass your car! How did I pass your car! Oh My God!”, while being brutalised by the soldiers.
Despite the pain, the soldiers did not hold back on inflicting more beating on the man, as the woman was heard shouting in the background, “He is not feeling fine! He’s not feeling fine! Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!”
The army personnel also attacked the female passenger for recording the encounter.
“Give me the phone! Give me the phone!”, one of the soldiers was heard saying while attacking the woman.
The video has since sparked outrage online, with other reports saying that the man is suing; and demanding N150 million compensation and the dismissal of the Major General.
In response to the video, the Acting Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has directed an investigation into the incident.
A statement issued on Tuesday and signed by the Director of Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, stated that the investigation will aim to “unravel” the circumstances surrounding the video, noting that the details of the incident remain “unclear.”The statement read, “The attention of the Nigerian Army (NA) has been drawn to a viral audio-visual recording circulating on social media platforms, purportedly showing a senior Army officer and 2 other soldiers in an altercation with a man and woman within the Abuja metropolis.
“The circumstances leading to this incident are not clear at the moment. However, the Acting Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has ordered an immediate investigation to unravel the true circumstances surrounding this altercation.
“The NA remains committed to serving and protecting all law-abiding Nigerians as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He urged the public to be rest assured that due diligence will be applied to reach a logical conclusion on the matter.